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Re: Jamal Lewis 2007 ????

Regardless of AD I want to see Jamal back at a reduced price. There is no way he returns at what he is set to be paid. I think he can get back to being a top 10 RB in the NFL for another year or two. The guy never really broke loose this year but still got 1,100+ yards and 10 TD's. And most importantly he was a "team player" this year. No crying to the media after each game like last year about touches. He even looked good after the catch on Saturday.

Re: Jamal Lewis 2007 ????

Michael Turner would look really good in purple. He is a restricted free agent that the Chargers won't be able to keep. He was also just a 5th round pick. With the Ravens compensatory picks this year, we can afford to give up our 5th, even though we also gave up our 4th (McNair). He has averaged 6 yards per carry as a pro and he's also a good kick returner. As we've seen, it helps to have depth there. Now, I don't know the Chargers cap situation and at which level they will tender Turner, so I could be way off base here.

I am not up to speed yet on our cap situation either but I know we are tight. I think it is time to part with Musa and Jamal. This offense badly needs a consistent running game and Turner is a tough, stocky dude that hits the hole and gets through it, north and south, without a cha-cha step thrown in. I swear, at times, Turner looks like Tomlinson's equal. The Chargers certainly had no drop-off when LT split carries with Turner when LT was banged up in 2005. The Turner move makes a lot of sense to me assuming we have the cap room.

Our Ravens have 1 year of potential domination left with the current cast of characters. Jamal showed what he can do and it's only marginally enough. Anderson seems to be the best back on the team but Billick obviously doesn't think so. I don't think we can hand the reigns over to a rookie. If we restructure Jamal then Turner is off the table obviously and Michael Bush may be our first pick.

As for AD - he's gone, unless AD takes a whole lot less to stay. That is not likely. No way the Ravens can afford him and it's not in Ozzie's style to overpay an older player who's entire game is based on speed. Ozzie will not be paying AD a premium as his skills deteriorate down the line. I love AD as much as the next guy but he's a speed guy that disappears against better talent. His stats are incredible and he deserves his payday. He will get it from San Francisco and he will join a young, talented, up and coming team that lost Julian Peterson last year. AD can help them on defense and provide leadership. Nolan probably knows that. We cannot afford AD. He wants to get paid and deserves to. I am sorry to say it but it won't be here - that's just the reality.

Re: Jamal Lewis 2007 ????

If Jamal is smart and gives up his ideas of being a top paid RB, he'll be back.

Just like with Clarence Moore, the coaches like him too much, so if he caves to their salary demands, we'll bring him back for another year or two.

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“When I think of a Baltimore Raven - we go in there, we take your lunch box, we take your sandwich, we take your juice box, we take your applesauce, and we take your spork and we break it. And we leave you with an empty lunch. That’s the Baltimore Raven way.” - Steve Smith Sr.

Re: Jamal Lewis 2007 ????

Michael Turner would look really good in purple. He is a restricted free agent that the Chargers won't be able to keep. He was also just a 5th round pick. With the Ravens compensatory picks this year, we can afford to give up our 5th, even though we also gave up our 4th (McNair). He has averaged 6 yards per carry as a pro and he's also a good kick returner. As we've seen, it helps to have depth there. Now, I don't know the Chargers cap situation and at which level they will tender Turner, so I could be way off base here.

I would love to have Turner as the Ravens RB. With that being said, there is no way you can get him for a 5th round pick. It would cost us at least our first and possibly more.

Re: Jamal Lewis 2007 ????

it is a fact that our running game productivity was at the bottom of the league

we could either blame it on the line, the back or a combination of both

What i observed this year, is that there were enough times where anderson and musa smith came in with longer yards per carry to not blame the line completely.

he unfortunately is looking like earl campbell 2 -- a few steps slower every year due to that physical style. On the business side, I would be looking for a combination of Anderson (we paid him the money already) and a rookie (history of good production if you can find a good one in the first 2 rounds)

I do appreciate as a fan, however, that Jamal's attitude really took a turn for the better this year -- I think he gave us all he had

Re: Jamal Lewis 2007 ????

I think that's fair, Merlin. Personally, I would like to see Mike, Ovie, and Turner from SD. Since it's obvious that Billick is going to run a Billickball offense, we might as well stop kidding ourselves, and get the personnel that is going to work here under Billick. The "promotion" of Rick is an effin joke -- it's yet another attempt by control freak Billick to set up a decoy to try to hide the truth about who's really running the show. It sux, but with our D pretty much intact, and McNair with a year in our system under his body armor, we should be in pretty good shape as far as the AFC North is concerned. I think Turner could be the key to get us back to the post season next year.